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Sawyer County Board adopts $14.87 million 2025 budget, adds $10,000 for Sherman & Ruth Weiss library
Summary
The Sawyer County Board adopted a $14,872,693 2025 budget after amending it to add $10,000 for the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library; the final adoption passed on a roll call recorded as 11 yes, 3 no. The budget shifts several CIP items and postpones debt service for a communications project.
The Sawyer County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 7 adopted the county’s 2025 budget at $14,872,693 after approving a last‑minute amendment to add $10,000 to the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library’s allocation. The measure passed on a recorded roll call the board recorded as 11 in favor and 3 opposed.
County staff summarized the changes since the board’s prior meeting: a $15,000 increase originally directed to Neagan Transit was funded from contingency; a proposed communications project was deferred from 2025 to 2026 so related debt service would begin in 2026 rather than 2025; and several 2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) items were moved into the 2025 budget to avoid a levy dip. As presented, the budget reduced some capital spending by roughly $2.3–2.4 million, producing a net levy change down about $177,000 from the prior draft.
Board members debated two stand‑alone changes before voting: restoring the previously proposed Transit allocation and adding $10,000 to the Sherman & Ruth Weiss library. The board approved the library increase as a levy item; county staff confirmed it will be added to the levy and reflected in the final budget totals.
Library directors who addressed the board during the reopened public hearing thanked supervisors for the proposed funding and outlined local services that rely on county support. Anne Larson, identified as director of the Sherman & Ruth Weiss Community Library, said the library provides programs from birth through senior citizen services and asked for continued investment to maintain and expand access.
The board’s finance committee report summarized related items that were approved at the committee level, including the fee schedule and a CIP summary. The final budget adoption was followed by the required roll‑call budget vote.
What’s next: staff will finalize budget documents and implement the levy as amended; items deferred from 2025 (notably the communications project) may return to committee with new financing proposals for 2026.
